1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grasping device, a robot system, and a method of manufacturing a mechanical product.
2. Description of the Related Art
As robots have been used in recent years for a variety of uses including a cellular manufacturing system, it has been required for a robot to be equipped with a hand unit that can hold objects having various shapes. Moreover, it is also required for the robot to hold the same object in various ways.
When a robot has a hand unit including a holder mechanism, such as an air chuck, that can hold an object in a limited way, it is necessary for the robot to have a plurality of air chucks each corresponding to one way of holding the object and to change the air chucks by using an automatic tool changer. As a result, the cost of the hand unit is increased.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-034810, for example, discloses a mechanism that includes a pair of finger members and holds an object by increasing and decreasing the distance between the finger members. Such a mechanism has been widely used. Various types of objects can be held and handled by using such a hand unit.